Ecumenism in the Church
Catholic Church view on other religions Although the Catholic Church has a hard-nosed view of its faith compared to others, they do accept some non-Catholic religions as “almost right” and overall good. In Lumen Gentium, the Catholic Church clearly identifies itself. They take a stance on what the trinity is made up of and how it is united. “Thus, the Church has been seen as "a people made one with the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."(Lumen Gentium). This quote takes a stance on how the Catholic Church is made up and what it consists of. Although other non-Catholic religions may not view at it as this way, they believe it is so. In the Gaudium et spes it is the same. “The Church firmly believes that Christ, who died and was raised up for all,(2) can through His Spirit offer man the light and the strength to measure up to his supreme destiny”(Gaudium et spes). This quote shows that those misguided by the views of other faiths and religions can be guided back into the Catholic Church faith because Jesus and God can overcome that. Even though they are not implying that these religions are evil, they believe they should be brought back to the Catholic faith. In the Unitatis Redintegratio , there are very different opinions about non-Catholic faiths. It follows that the separated Churches(23) and Communities as such, though we believe them to be deficient in some respects, have been by no means deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation”(Unitatis Redintegratio). In this quote the Catholic Church is explaining that other faiths are deficient in their knowledge of the real Catholic religion, but nonetheless are viewed as faiths that don’t need to be deprived of salvation in Jesus Christ. The Nostra Aetate is likewise.” The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts…must proclaim Christ "the way, the truth, and